What are we to make of Jesus’ statement in John 10:10 that He came, “…that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

BACKGROUND:

Should we expect the level of fullness Jesus promises to be evident in life before death as well as life after death? If so, why are most of our communities (and some churches) filled with less than full people?

We know from Luke how, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and people,”[1] and we probably know from experience that people generally don’t grow to the extent that Jesus did, regardless of whether they’re followers of his or not. I suppose we shouldn’t expect people to grow that much; after all Jesus was different, he was fully God and fully human. But what if God continues to create people in his likeness with the potential to grow fully and holistically, and what if he remains committed to people’s intellectual, physical, spiritual, social and emotional growth throughout their lives? If Jesus did come that people may have fullness in all areas of life, do we have a Christian responsibility to ask ourselves whether we, and those we empower, are growing holistically?

AIM:

Through our National Consultation on Integral Mission we want to create space to consider, as Christians, and as the church, what role we’re playing in facilitating fullness, encouraging wholeness and embracing Jesus’ integrated approach to the Kingdom. What does mission look like when it addresses people’s whole needs rather than limit itself to one or two aspects of their created-ness? And what about us personally – are we fully God’s? Does God have complete influence over our lives; do we totally trust him in every area, and does it show?

Join us, as we:

read, wait, hear from God, and pray together

initiate open and honest discussions around what the principles and practice of Integral Mission means for a country like South Africa. We’re looking to create a safe environment to develop a simple theological framework which will underpin what God requires of us

develop an action plan to support and encourage Integral Mission practice in and through the South African church / Christians

support and link existing local expressions of Integral Mission and / or start new initiatives throughout the country

About admin

Phil Bowyer is one of the founders of Integral Mission and Soul Action South Africa. He creates space for people who are exploring how to respond to various forms of poverty to connect with one another and God's mission. He is the author of several books on Integral Mission, incl. A Different World, Express Community and The Whole Wide World.